Archive for August, 2013

Indie psychedelic outfit, Future History are preparing to release their sophomore studio album, titled Lungs on September 24th. The band are currently giving away the first single off of the release, With Haste for free on their website. With Haste is also accompanied by a music video featuring an eerie feral child with a red-riding hood vibe in the forest around a desolate cabin where the album was created.

“We spent 10 months in an old, decrepit and haunted cabin in the backwoods of Ontario. Summoning, discovering, creating and capturing, we grew this record ourselves, from seed to tree, through the various stages of emotional collapse and rebirth. Assembling a myriad of old recording equipment acquired over the years and utilizing old furniture discovered in the cabin, we made a genuine attempt to reclaim the space from a multitude of infestations; wasps, man-eating spiders, mice, stink bugs, unseen spirits and Asian lady bugs (you know the ones that bite)…. In the end, despite our best efforts, we all learned to live in harmony…” Be sure to pick up their new single, and check out their Facebook page for more details.

Mayday Paradehave recently released the first single, entitled Ghosts, off of their upcoming full-length album Monsters in the Closet, which debuts October 8th via Fearless Records.

Regarding the fresh song, bassist Jeremy Lenzo said: “We are so excited to release our first song ‘Ghosts’ off our newest album Monsters In The Closet. This song has to do with your inner demons, and it portrays that in a literal sense by referring to them as ghosts and how they are always with you. We can’t wait for everyone to hear all the songs on Monsters In The Closet. I think this album has a little bit of everything, and we hope everyone enjoys this album as much as we loved creating it.”

Mayday Parade is set to headline the Glamour Kills Tourin October/November. Pre-orders for the new album are now available at the Fearless Records online store, where one can select between twelve cool bundles or join the weekly raffle. While you’re checking that out, be sure to also stream the song below:

The Toronto based trio, My Favorite Robot comprised of James Teej, Jared Simms and Voytek Korab run a highly successful label and act as a production outfit. They have a strong connection with No. 19 Music that stretches back to the formative days for both, when a shared office in Toronto provided the base for both outfits. Now, with both camps dominating the world stage it makes for the most natural of partnerships for the new My Favorite Robot album to find a home with the irrepressible No.19 Music. Their new album Atomic Age will be available on the 16th of September with the track-list available below. For more information check out their website and Facebook page.

Lydia has been a staple of the indie rock scene now for almost a decade, but not without their fair share of ups and downs and all the lineup changes that came with it. We talked to Leighton about their new album Devil, released earlier this year, asking him about their new sound and their current tour with their friends from Cartel.

Questions by Kevin Ma.

The progression in Lydia’s sound from Paint it Golden to Devil is pretty clear, was this a deliberate act to reach out to newer fans or more of a natural change? Devil definitely sounds the happiest of your records to date.

We definitely didn’t set out to make a “certain kind of album.” I think it just ended up sounding more upbeat naturally. We also went with a new producer to make Devil, so that probably contributed to the slightly different sound as well.

The balance between keeping the old Lydia sound that fans love and opting for a more poppier sound is quite well done in Devil depite it seeming risky to attempt, how did you achieve this balance?

I really think it’s terrible to play it safe while writing. It’s one thing that I truly hate, when an artist puts out a record without taking any risks. There is really something to be said about stepping out of your comfort zone. Some amazing things can come from it.

Moments of ‘beauty’ have always been a part of what makes Lydia’s music so endearing to fans. Your past records didn’t have a problem in achieving these emotional, layered moments as they were sad in nature. Devil, being almost the opposite, still manages to achieve these moments. Was this the result of many conscientious decisions on your end or did it sort of magically happen during the recording process?

Honestly we were just trying to make the best songs we could. I feel like it would be a mistake to go into any creative project with a strong agenda. The guys and myself were very lucky to have the great team around us for the recording and release as well.

What’s the inspiration behind the Devil album artwork?

We get asked this a lot because, I guess, it’s so different from our previous artwork. We were going a slightly different direction with the music, and so we wanted to do the same with the artwork. Our manager and myself came up with an idea that slowly morphed into what you actually see as the artwork.

How have your musical inspirations for writing new songs changed with each record? Are there certain musicians that you’ll always look at for inspiration?

I really do try and look at every release, and song, completely different from anything we’ve done already. I think that in itself as made the albums different. Also I would say we make a conscious effort of not forcing any songwriting. If its not there, it’s not there. Sometimes you just have to put the instrument down and come back to it later.

There are a lot of lines that have stuck with fans: “…it’s such a life to remember”, “When all we want is to be enough / When all we want is to feel enough”, and my personal favorite, “Darling, you fucked up”. What is your favorite line you have written?

Ha, I mean I wrote them all so I’m kind of biased, but I just love how the fans hold all the lyrics and songs so close and personal.

Favorite songs to play live? Best and/or craziest crowd reactions?

Um, we just put out a song called “Back to Bed” off of our new record Devil. This one got a whole lot of amazing Lydia fans pretty wild on tour.

Leighton, you have another project called The Cinema, how do you balance the song writing for both Lydia and The Cinema? How do the songs differ and influence one another?

I try my best while writing to keep both projects separate from each other. I love to write and produce both bands, but I feel like any “separate” project you do shouldn’t be too close to another. That said, I think it’s only human that some of the writing probably influences other parts.

What’s next for Lydia?

Lydia is going to be releasing a deluxe edition of our latest release Devil with 6 extra tracks on it. Then we will be on the road for a lot of the remainder of the year. Hope to see some yo’ faces out there, cheers!

LITS Mix is a weekly mix of songs curated by our ears with your ears in mind. With so much music to listen to out there, we intend to showcase our favorite tunes in an easily digestible manner, guiding you through the riff-raff to find the music. This week we present our third mix, a six song collection of hip hop and indie tracks. You can stream the mix below.

Metalcore band Blessthefall have recently released a brand new music video for their song You Wear A Crown But You’re No King. The song is off their newest release, Hollow Bodies, released by Fearless Records. Check out the video below! You can pick up Hollow Bodies on iTunes by clicking here.

Scottish alternative folk outfit, Frightened Rabbit have released a video of frontman Scott Hutchison performing a brand new single titled Radio Silence acoustically. If you prefer to listen to a full band version instead you can stream it on their Soundcloud here. The new track will be on an EP to be released in September, that you can pre-order on iTunes. Watch the video below, check out their tour dates and tell us what you think of their new song in the comments below.

Humfree Bug Art is a sextet pop outfit based out of Stockholm, Sweden. The band released their first EP Chairlene in October 2012 on their own music label, Esplanaden Fonogram and then released the single, With Nights and Lights via 100 SONGS. Most recently they released a second EP titled Collema. You can stream a new song titled Flowers below via Swedish-based web radio station Gimme Indie. For more information and to pick up some tracks for free head over to their website. Be sure to also check out their Instagram for some pretty innovative artwork. Here’s looking at you, kid.

Yellowcard – “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”

Pop punk band Yellowcardhave been considered by many to be one of the most iconic pop punk bands of the new millennium, their powerful melodies and catchy choruses taking the country by storm. The same people almost all agree that their 2003 album Ocean Avenue is their most memorable work; songs such as Only One, Breathing, Back Home, and (of course) the title track itself topped the playlists of our childhoods. And to celebrate its 10 year anniversary, the band have decided to release a “re-imagining” of all thirteen Ocean Avenue tracks in a new acoustic album–a piece of art that invokes both nostalgia and innovation.

One of the most impressive features of Yellowcard songs has always been the inclusion of the violin (thanks to Sean Mackin), a long-considered classical instrument that meshed perfectly with the band’s modernized songs. Ocean Avenue Acoustic continues to masterfully use this amazing instrument, from the strong notes in the beginning of Believe and in the chorus of Breathing to the much more reserved but equally impactful tunes in Only One and Empty Apartment. All in all, the violin that got us loving Yellowcard in the first place does not disappoint in the new album and continues to add strength to each song.

Regarding the songs themselves, Yellowcard manages to create a new breed of intensity in some of their more explosive songs. The sound of the acoustic Way Away is just as enormous as its older counterpart, but in a different way; while there isn’t as much overwhelming noise that highlights pop punk, the speed and brawn of the acoustic instruments evoke a sense of desperation and excitement that is just as empowering as the feelings received from the original 2003 version. The same can be said for Miles Apart, Life of a Salesman, View From Heaven, and Ocean Avenue itself. And on the other side of the spectrum, emotionally riveting tracks such as Only One, Back Home, and Empty Apartment have become even more moving. Their softer melodies paint the message of their songs, whether it’s loss of love or the falsity of an expectation, in a way that feels even more genuine and true than before.

Holistically, Ocean Avenue Acoustic takes thirteen amazing songs and alters their sounds to make dissimilar but equally powerful songs. Not only do the songs lend heavy doses of nostalgia and remembrance for the songs that help define a decade, they feel refreshing and new when one listens to them. Overall, this album, being both the same and different as the groundbreaking album ten years ago of the same name, deserves a rating equivalent to the original Ocean Avenue.